Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Star cars Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Top Speed: Over 100 Miles per hr Number of Vehicles Used In Production 7 cars built for the film Number of Surviving Vehicles Flying Car "She's a fantasmagorical machine!" ―Caractacus Potts [src] Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the car star from the 1968 MGM and United Artists film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was based on a novel by James Bond author Ian Fleming of the same name. The car was invented (in the movie) by British inventor Caractcus Potts. Potts bought the old racecar from a junkyard and restored it to working order after it was destroyed in an automobile accident during a race. In the movie the car had the abillity to fly, float, and drive on the road like a normal car. Contents Edit Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (the novel) was inspired by a series of 4 real life race cars named Chitty? Bang Bang built and raced by Count Louis Zbrowski in the 1920s that were oddly long shaped.

Ian Fleming saw one of the cars as a boy and thus inspired him to write the children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Bang Bang- Chitty 1 Edit The first Chitty was a chain driven customised Mercedes chassis with a twenty three litre, six cylinder Maybach engine. It was the first amateur machine to achieve celebrity at the Brooklands race track in 1921. Chitty 1 won two races in her debut appearance, reaching speeds of 100.75 miles an hour in the Brooklands Short Handicap. Chitty Bang Bang- Chitty 2 Edit By summer of the same year, Count Zborowski began building Chitty 2. This model was similar to the first Chitty but had a shorter wheelbase, an early Mercedes chassis and an 18.8 litre Benz BZ series aero-engine. This car was never as successful as its predecessor. It failed to make its mark at Brooklands but took part in several races and a Sahara Desert expedition in 1922. Chitty Bang Bang- Chitty 3 This model lapped Brooklands at 112.68 miles per hour. It too, was based on a modified Mercedes chassis.

It had a 160 horse power Mercedes single overhead camshaft six cylinder aero engine and was tuned to produce 180 horse power. Chitty Bang Bang- Chitty 4 Edit A fourth Chitty, more commonly known as the "Higham Special" was the largest capacity (27 litres) racing car ever to run at Brooklands. Its gearbox and chain-drive originated from a pre-war Blitzen Benz and it had a 450 horse power V12 Liberty aero engine. This car was later purchased by racing enthusiast J.G. Parry Thomas who christened it "Babs" and used it to win the land speed record. in April 1926 with a speed of 171.02 miles per hour. Designing the Movie Car Edit For the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, technicians and engineers worked on designing and building the car for almost seven months in utmost secrecy. Chitty's wooden boat body was crafted from red and white cedar, the work of expert boat builder from England's Thames River. Chitty is finished in aluminum, brass, and copper. Movie Car Racing Career The ability to become a boat and drive on the water.

To become a submarine (Revealed in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again) Time Travel (revealed in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again) Trivia It was inspired by the Chitty Bang Bang racing cars raced by Count Louis Zborowski in the 1920s. When Chitty is a racecar at the beginning of the movie, her race number is #3. The prop builders for the film spent 7 months in secrecy building the car for the film. The road car that was built for the movie looks like a manual drive car, but in reality the clutch is a dummy, it is really an automatic driving car. Specifications Edit The movie car is 17 feet and 7 inches long, stands an incredible 6 foot 3 inches high, is 5 feet 9 inches wide, has a hood length of 5 feet 4 inches, and has horsepower capable of reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Chitty weighs approximately 1.5 tons. Movie Cars There were 8 cars built for and used in the film: Original road going Chitty Chitty Bang Bang vehicle Flying car with wings and stabilizers A trailer version with removable chassis.

An engine and wheels were added to this after filming. A version used in shots where the car transitions into the floating car. The detail on this version was "all aluminium" with no brass detailing. A sea-going version on an inflatable floatilla mounted on two speed boats A second road going car with construction flaws which additionally had a second set of steering controls concealed on the floor by the front seats. Identifiable by vertical support bars behind the radiator grille. Two racing car versions. Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang_(novel) : definition of Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang_(novel) and synonyms of Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang_(novel) (English) Followed by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham . It was initially published in three volumes, the first of which was released on 22 October 1964 by Jonathan Cape in London .

Fleming, better known as the creator of James Bond , took his inspiration for the subject from a series of aero-engined racing cars called " Chitty Bang Bang ", built by Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s at Higham Park. Fleming had known Higham Park as a guest of its later owner, Walter Wigham, chairman of Robert Fleming & Co. Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was loosely adapted as a 1968 film of the same name with a screenplay by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes ; a subsequent novelization was also produced. The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli , co-producer of the James Bond film series. The story was also adapted as a stage musical under the same name . In April 2011, a BBC Radio 4 Extra adaptation was broadcast with Imogen Stubbs as the voice of Chitty. A sequel to Fleming's book was published on 7 October 2011 under the name Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce .

Contents 7 Bibliography Plot Commander Caractacus Pott is an inventor who buys and renovates an old car after gaining money from inventing and selling whistle-like sweets to Lord Skrumshus, the wealthy owner of a local confectionery factory. The car, a "Paragon Panther," was the sole production of the Paragon motor-car company before it went bankrupt. It is a four-seat touring car with an enormous bonnet. After the restoration is complete, the car is named for the noises made by its starter motor and the characteristic two loud backfires it makes when it starts. At first Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang is just a big and powerful car, but as the book progresses the car surprises the family by beginning to exhibit independent actions. This first happens while the family is caught in a traffic jam on their way to the beach for a picnic. The car suddenly instructs Commander Pott to pull a switch which causes Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang to sprout wings and take flight over the stopped cars on the road. Commander Pott flies them to Goodwin Sands in the English Channel where the family picnics, swims, and sleeps. While the family naps, the tide comes in threatening to drown them.

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang wakes them just in time with a hiss of steam. At the car's direction, Commander Pott pulls another switch which causes it to transform into a hovercraft-like vehicle. They make for the French coast and land on a beach near Calais . They explore along the beach and find a cave boobytrapped with some devices intended to scare off intruders. At the back of the cave is a store of armaments and explosives. The family detonate the cache of explosives and flee the cave. The gangsters/gun-runners who own the ammunition dump arrive and block the road in front of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. The gangsters threaten the family, but Commander Pott throws the switch which transforms the car into an aeroplane and they take off, leaving the gangsters in helpless fury. The Potts stay overnight in a hotel in Calais. While the family sleeps, the gangsters break into the children's room and kidnap them and drive off towards Paris. Chitty tracks the gangsters' route, wakes Commander and Mrs. Pott, and they drive off in pursuit. The gangsters are planning to rob a famous chocolate shop in Paris using the children as decoys.

The Pott children overhear this and manage to warn the shop owner, Monsieur Bon-Bon. Chitty arrives in time to prevent the gangsters from fleeing. The police arrive and the gangsters are taken away. As a reward Monsieur Bon-Bon's wife shares the secret recipe of her world famous fudge with the Potts and the two families become good friends. Chitty flies the family away to parts unknown, and the book implies that the car has yet more secrets. Characters Jeremy and Jemima Pott – Caractacus and Mimsie's twin eight-year-old children Lord Skrumshus – owner of a sweet factory Joe the Monster – leader of a criminal gang Man-Mountain Fink – member of Joe's gang Soapy Sam – member of Joe's gang; explosives expert Blood-Money Banks – member of Joe's gang; blackmailer Monsieur Bon-Bon – owner of a famous Parisian chocolate shop and the target of Joe's gang Background By 1961, Fleming had published nine James Bond novels.

[1] The most recent of these was Thunderball , a novel Fleming initially published under his own name, but which was the subject of a legal action by its co-authors, Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham . [2] In March 1961, McClory read an advance copy of the book and he and Whittingham immediately petitioned the High Court in London for an injunction to stop publication. [3] The case was heard on 24 March 1961 and allowed the book to be published, although the door was left open for McClory to pursue further action at a later date. [4] He did so and, on 19 November 1963, the case of McClory v Fleming was heard at the Chancery Division of the High Court. The proceedings lasted three weeks, during which time Fleming was unwell, suffering a heart attack as the case progressed. [5] Two weeks after the case, during the weekly Tuesday staff conference at his employers, The Sunday Times , Fleming suffered a serious, second heart attack that necessitated convalescence, which he undertook at the Dudley Hotel in Hove .

[6] Whilst there, one of Fleming's friends, Duff Dunbar, gave him a copy of Beatrix Potter 's The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin to read and suggested that he took the time to write up the bedtime story that Fleming used to tell to tell his son Caspar each evening. [6] Fleming attacked the project with gusto and wrote to his publisher, Michael Howard of Jonathan Cape , joking that "There is not a moment, even on the edge of the tomb, when I am not slaving for you". [7] As he wrote the novel, Fleming used aspects of his life to flesh out the details, much as he did with many of his Bond stories. [8] Thus, in the novel, one of the children was called Jemima, after the daughter of his previous employer, Hugo Pitman; [9] the advice Pott gave to his children also echoed that of Fleming: "Never say 'no' to adventures.

Always say 'yes', otherwise you'll lead a very dull life." [9] Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang the car was based on a composite of two cars: Fleming's own Standard Tourer , which he had driven in Switzerland in the late 1920s, and Chitty Bang Bang , a chain-driven customised Mercedes with a 23-litre 6-cylinder Maybach aero-engine . Fleming had seen the car's owner, Count Louis Zborowski race at the Brooklands race track. [9] Like Zborowski, Fleming names his car because of the noise it made—and the noise a car made was important to Fleming. [10] In May 1961, Fleming sent his publisher the manuscripts for the first two volumes of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. [9] To illustrate the book, Fleming suggested the Daily Mail cartoonist Trog—the pseudonym of Wally Fawkes —as he admired the artist's work.

Whilst undertaking the preliminary drawings for the book, Trog tried to make the fudge recipe included in the book and found it was not particularly good: the editors at Jonathan Cape spent a day making up batches from different recipes to find a better one to use. [11] Although Fawkes completed preliminary drawings for the project, the Daily Mail refused to allow him to complete the work as many of Fleming's works were serialised in its rival, the Daily Express . [9] After Trog was forced to withdraw from the project, Cape commissioned John Burningham , who had recently won the 1963 Kate Greenaway Medal for his book Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers . [12] Fleming did not live to see Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang published: he suffered a further heart attack on 11 August 1964 and died in the early morning of the following day—his son Caspar's twelfth birthday—in Canterbury , Kent. [13] [14] The book was published two months after his death.

[15] Release and reception Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was first published in the UK in three hard-backed volumes by Jonathan Cape, each costing 10 shillings 6d. [16] The first volume was launched on Thursday, 22 October 1964, the second on 26 November 1964 and the third on 14 January 1965. [16] In 1968, the three volumes were released in one single volume by Pan Books . [17] Reviews Alexander Muir, in the Daily Mirror , considered that the first two volumes of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, "would make wonderful Christmas presents for everybody's young ones", [18] declaring that they were "thrilling cliff-hanger adventures". [18] Writing in The Guardian , John Rowe Townsend was damning of the book, saying of the car "I don't care for her much, or the values she stands for" [19] and, of the writing, that "we have the adult writer at play rather than the children's writer at work.

The style is avuncular, the writing down too evident." [19] The reviewer for The Times noted that "junior Bonds-men ... can cut their teeth on" the novel. [20] Concerning volume one of the book, The Sunday Times reviewer Oscar Turnill wrote that "Fleming was right in judging the children's market ripe for the ... cliff hanger" [21] and praised his "avuncular and knowledgeable storytelling", [21] which was matched by Burningham's illustrations. [21] Adaptations Daily Express serialisation (1964) Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was serialised in the Daily Express newspaper in five episodes over the course of a week, from Monday 19 October 1964, [22] to Friday 23 October 1964. [23] Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968 film) A film loosely based on the novel was made in 1968, with a screenplay written by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes . It was produced by Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli , who had made five James Bond films previously.

[24] [25] The film starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious , an additional character who was not in Fleming's novel. [26] Two actors from the Bond franchise were involved in the film: Desmond Llewelyn and Gert Frobe , who played the parts of scrap-dealer Coggins and Baron Bomberst, respectively. [27] A novelization of the film was published by Pan Books in 1968, [28] written by author John Burke . [29] Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2002 musical) On 16 April 2002, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , a stage musical based on the film, opened at the London Palladium theatre. It was directed by Adrian Noble with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne , and starred Michael Ball . This version of the show closed in September 2005. It was the longest-running show ever at the London Palladium, taking over £70 million in its three-and-a-half-year run. [30] The show was nominated for two Laurence Olivier Awards .

[31] A Broadway version opened on 28 April 2005 at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) in New York City and closed on 31 December 2005, after 34 previews and 284 regular performances, grossing $27,509,505 during its run. [32] The production was nominated for five 2005 Tony Awards . [33] Radio adaptation (2011) A one-hour adaptation of the novel by Sherry Ashworth was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7 ) on 3 April 2011, starring Imogen Stubbs as the voice of Chitty and Alex Jennings as Caractacus Potts. [34] References Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - All The Tropes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Create New Our fine four-fendered friend!

Having noted the success of Disney 's Mary Poppins , its 1964 Edwardian Era Musical , Metro Goldwyn Mayer sought three years later to re-establish its position as the leading purveyor of musical films by hiring The Sherman Brothers , the same song-writing team that had scored Poppins, to adapt another period piece into a big-budget musical extravaganza. The result was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Caractacus Potts (an English inventor with an American accent played by Dick Van Dyke) rebuilds an old wreck of a race-car and makes a few slight improvements, such as giving it the ability to sail and to fly . With his kids, grandfather and the beautiful daughter of a candy mogul, Caractacus travels to the distant, vaguely mitteleuropäisch land of Vulgaria (location shooting for the film version was done around the Bavarian castle of Neuschwanstein and in the medieval town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber), where they get in trouble with the country's Evil Aristocrat leaders who hate children , but like their car (hey, it's better than a Lada ). Naturally, they steal both. The book it's based on was written by Ian Fleming .

Yes, that Ian Fleming . The movie itself was directed by Albert Broccoli of the same fame . Gert Fröbe, who played the Baron, also played Auric Goldfinger . Benny Hill was the Toymaker. Oh, and the screenwriter was Roald Dahl . Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Tropes used in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang include: Amphibious Automobile Anachronism Stew : The Baron's army includes knights in greathelms, Napoleonic cavalry, and late 19th-century riflemen. In what is, by best estimate, no earlier than 1913, and might actually be the 1920s. Also, the costuming is definitely Edwardian , but the steamship, the zeppelin and the cars could conceivably be from the 1930s. Aristocrats Are Evil : Baron and Baroness Bomburst, the leaders of Vulgaria. Though averted hard with Truly Scrumptious, who is, well...

And played with in the case of her father, Lord Scrumptious, who comes across initially as a right bastard, but turns out to be Grandpa Pott's old commanding officer and a much nicer guy than he appeared. Artistic License Physics : Yeah, yeah, we know, but... Two relatively small fabric wings and a pair of drone-sized rotors are not going to support a ton and a half of motorcar. Attack! Attack! Retreat! Retreat! : The lone Vulgarian foot soldier following behind the cavalry, when the gates close behind him. Auto Kitchen : Caractacus Potts has a Rube Goldberg Device breakfast-making machine as one of his many household inventions. Awful Wedded Life : How the Baron seems to view his marriage to the Baroness, even though (other than her neurosis about aging, apparent dimness, and a certain moral flexibility about the fate of children) she doesn't seem to be all that bad and is quite devoted to him. Bang Bang BANG : The tiny cannons Bomburst's forces use all make booming noises quite out of proportion to their size. The Baroness : The Baroness. Unlike most examples, this Baroness is in fact an actual baroness.

She is married to a baron and lives in the capital of a barony. Black Humor : Toward the end of the film, several characters are thrown into the lake near Neuschwanstein Castle. If you know the history of Neuschwanstein (there were several tragic drownings in that lake), this is a lot darker. Brick Joke : On the way back to Vulgaria, the two spies are thrown off the zeppelin when Baron Bomburst tries to lighten it. Later, we see the spies having swum all the way back, but because the Vulgarian people are fighting at the castle, they head back into the water to swim away. Building Is Welding : The children peer in a window at one point to see Caractacus doing some welding on Chitty's frame early in the process of rebuilding it. Flying Car : Chitty, obviously. Furthermore it's at least ten years before the invention of the first reliable helicopter, and yet Chitty has vertical propellers! Chitty is an autogyro , not a helicopter. Food Fight : Makes up a fair amount of the first stage of the rebellion against the Baron.

Gainax Ending : The ending has the Caractacus and Truly fly off in the car. Despite it already being revealed the car only had the ability to do that in the dream sequence. Genre Adultery : Based on a children's book written by a man famous for gritty spy novels. Gentleman Adventurer : Played with. Grandpa Potts thinks he's this trope, but he's really just insane. More likely just eccentric, he never seems to take it seriously beyond the cosplay. Gorgeous Period Dress Have a Gay Old Time : "You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious." Homemade Inventions : Caractacus's various devices. Some of the fun of them is noticing where he repurposed existing things -- like silverware -- to make parts for them. Hubcap Hovercraft : Chitty's amphibious mode, which appears to be a genuine hovercraft. Inferred Holocaust : Unusually, in the Backstory of the movie: It's never explicitly specified what the law against children was going to do about any children already in existence, but the very fact that their parents hid them away suggests that a "Massacre of the Innocents" was in the offing.

Worse, that was by no measure an entire barony's usual population of tweens and teens living under the castle, even given how small Vulgaria seems to be -- they are likely to be the survivors of an initial purge of children from the barony. And afterward: The youngest children hidden under the castle are perhaps 10 or 12, which tallies with the Toymaker's line that the Bombursts' law against children was passed a decade or so earlier. Even assuming that the villagers took turns caring for them, how many infants died during the first months or years of their exile? What happened that no children younger than 10 or 12 are in evidence? It's unlikely that an entire barony has chosen celibacy for over a decade -- so what happened to any babies born in that time? Or worse, any women who got pregnant? Invasion of the Baby Snatchers : The Child Catcher, and more generally the Baron himself. It Will Never Catch On : Among Caractacus's not-quite-working inventions are a prototype television and a vacuum cleaner. Just Train Wrong : There is a brief shot of a train from the Great Western Railway.

Except it's not, it's actually a rather poorly-disguised World War II-era "Austerity tank". Let X Be the Unknown : One of the spies goes by the codename of "X". His superiors get confused and think they are speaking to Rex or Tex. Mad Scientist : Not merely Caractacus himself (who, as his father says, is "Eccentric -- definitely eccentric. Can't think where he gets it from !"), but also a collection of (rather grotesque) inventors forced by the Baron to work on a supercar for himself. At least one of them was just a telephone repair guy whom the baron kidnapped. Man Child : Baron Bomburst, ironically. Mean Character, Nice Actor : Believe it or not, Robert Helpmann, who played the terrifying Child Catcher, was extremely kind, especially towards the children. Meaningful Name : Caractacus Potts. Dick Van Dyke himself once said it was just a long form for "crackpot". Lampshaded in the case of Truly Scrumptious with the song that bears her name.

("By coincidence, Truly Scrumptious, you're truly, truly scrumptious.") "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is a descriptive name born of the sounds the car makes. Mr. Starship : Chitty. But this instance of the trope is not so much the fault of the audience as it is the fault of the main characters who endow Chitty as a character themselves. One may notice that the characters only take it so far; for example, they never refer to Chitty as 'he,' only as 'it.' Names to Run Away From Really Fast : C'mon now? Bomburst? (Not to mention "Vulgaria"?) Kids, NEVER TAKE SWEETS FROM A STRANGER, PARTICULARLY IF THAT STRANGER IS CALLED THE CHILDCATCHER. Never Say "Die" : It's never explicitly specified what the law against children intended to be done about the children already in the country, but given that their parents to the risk of hiding them all away under the Baron's castle, it's safe to assume they weren't going to be escorted to the border and given homes in the next country over.

Nice Job Breaking It, Herod : The Bombursts' law banning children only results in the children being hidden and learning survival skills that aid them in overthrowing the Bombursts years later. No OSHA Compliance : The Scrumptious candy factory doesn't have handrails and has some of the boiling vats of sugar sitting on the edges... The Nose Knows : The Childcatcher's huge nose lets him track people's scent. Not Even Bothering with the Accent : Dick Van Dyke is in a movie set in England with English actors playing the other members of his family and he still uses his American accent. Of course, we all know what happened the last time he attempted a British accent . Sinister Schnoz : The Child-Catcher. The Sixties : The original novel was set in early-60s Britain, with the eponymous car being a vintage barn-find Caractacus bought because neither he nor anyone else in the Potts family wanted to be the twelfth family on the block with a black Morris Minor.

(May possibly be The Fifties combined with Did Not Do the Research : A highway mentioned early in the novel did not exist until the 1960s, but Fleming may not have known that.) Spoiled Brat : The Baron, a rare adult version. Spy Tux Reveal : When first deployed, the Vulgarian spies shuffle out of the water still wearing the ship's funnel disguises they wore on the baron's ship, and pull them off to reveal completely dry clothing underneath. Steampunk : The movie has a steampunk sensibility, but Chitty is a 20th century gasoline-powered vehicle, and the mood is the very opposite of "punk". The novel is set in the 1960s and is definitely not steampunk. The setting is still not "punk" but Diesel Punk might be a closer match for Chitty herself. Swing Low, Sweet Harriet : Truly on her garden swing. Rrrrowrrr... Those Magnificent Flying Machines : Chitty and the Baron's blimp. Early in the film, Caractacus attempts to build a set of rocket wings, as well. Epic Fail .

Thrown From the Zeppelin : Happens literally to the two spies when they need to lighten the load on the baron's zeppelin. Too Dumb to Live : The children are told point blank about the Child Catcher , ordered to stay put, and not to go outside no matter what...and they still go running after him with the call of sweets in hand. The worst of it is that they had seen the Child Catcher before and yet they were fooled by his Paper-Thin Disguise . Trap Door : Baron Bomburst tries to dispose of his wife through one. Ugly Guy, Hot Wife : The baron and Baroness. Vehicle Title : If you don't know by now... Very Loosely Based on a True Story : The episode of the two spies dressed as "English gentlemen" may be based on a World War II story in which two German spies were apprehended in the fen-country of Norfolk because (having been misled by P. G. Wodehouse and other similar English authors) they had attempted to pass as Englishmen by wearing spats and top-hats, both unsuitable to the terrain and hopelessly out of fashion by the 1940s.

Caractacus is reputed to be partially based on Henry Leland. Chitty itself is based on several actual early race cars which all bore the name "Chitty Bang Bang". See the trivia page for a bit more information. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Film) - TV Tropes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share Film / Chitty Chitty Bang Bang × Timeline Our fine four-fendered friend! Having noted the success of Disney 's Mary Poppins , its 1964 Edwardian Era musical , United Artists sought three years later to generate similar success for themselves by hiring The Sherman Brothers , the same song-writing team that had scored Poppins, to adapt another period piece into a big-budget musical extravaganza. The result was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Caractacus Potts (an English inventor with an American accent played by Dick Van Dyke ) rebuilds an old wreck of a race-car and makes a few slight improvements, such as giving it the ability to sail and to fly .

However, they are being threatened by Baron Bomburst of the vaguely mitteleuropäisch land of Vulgaria, who covets the car for himself. After his father is kidnapped by the Baron's forces, Caractacus, his two kids, and the beautiful daughter of a candy mogul all travel to the land of Vulgaria note Location shooting for the film version was done around the Bavarian castle of Neuschwanstein and in the medieval town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber and get into more misadventures. Hilarity Ensues . The book it's based on was written by Ian Fleming . Yes, THAT Ian Fleming . The movie itself was produced by Albert Broccoli of the same fame . Gert Frï¿½be , who played the Baron, also played Auric Goldfinger . Desmond Llewellyn of "Q" fame played Coggins. Benny Hill was the Toymaker. Oh, and the screenwriter was Roald Dahl (who, to continue the Bond allusions, wrote the screenplay to You Only Live Twice ). Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Received a Screen-to-Stage Adaptation in 2002.

Provides examples of: Accidental Aiming Skills : The Baron tries to shoot his own wife when she gets launched into the air and held up with a Parachute Petticoat under the pretense he's trying to help her down . But he does succeed in popping her dress and having her land safely, much to his disappointment. Bomburst: Ah, well, I'll get her next time. Aluminum Christmas Trees : To an extent, the Baron's birthday presents which are actually Caractacus and Truly in disguise. You'd think that this is an example of an egregiously Paper-Thin Disguise ... unless you already knew about 18th century clockwork automatons . Of course, they were never able to imitate humans singing, but at the time it seemed like anything was possible with them. There was one that could play the flute, a mechanical duck that could eat and digest food, several that could write, and a chess-playing hoax so ingenious and masterfully crafted that it is still worth mentioning. This last example also demonstrates how it wouldn't have seemed so far-fetched that there might be clockwork creations that could sing and dance (although it was achieved in largely the same way).

Aristocrats Are Evil : Baron and Baroness Bomburst, the leaders of Vulgaria. Though averted with Truly Scrumptious, who is, well... Attack! Attack... Retreat! Retreat! : The Vulgarian admiral following behind the cavalry, when the gates close behind him. The Baroness : The Baroness. Unlike most examples, this Baroness is in fact an actual baroness. She is married to a baron and lives in the capital of a barony. Bilingual Bonus : Subverted. Toot Sweets is a take on tout de suite, French for "Right now," (the de is silent) but it isn't related to candy. Unless it's to imply that the sweets themselves are "in" and hip. Black Humor : Toward the end of the film, several characters are thrown into the lake near Neuschwanstein Castle. If you know the history of Neuschwanstein (Ludwig II of Bavaria, who built the castle, mysteriously drowned in a lake), this is a lot darker. Earlier on, the Baron repeatedly tries to kill his own wife with no success.

Brick Joke : On the way back to Vulgaria, the two spies are thrown off the zeppelin when Baron Bomburst tries to lighten it. Later, we see the spies having swum all the way back, but because the Vulgarian people are fighting at the castle, they head back into the water to swim away . Child Hater : Having been invented by Roald Dahl , Vulgaria naturally has its whole culture built (very illogically) around this. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | All The Tropes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia All The Tropes Wiki Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected.

File:ChittyChittyBangBang.jpg Having noted the success of Disney 's Mary Poppins , its 1964 Edwardian Era Musical , Metro Goldwyn Mayer sought three years later to re-establish its position as the leading purveyor of musical films by hiring the Sherman Brothers, the same song-writing team that had scored Poppins, to adapt another period piece into a big-budget musical extravaganza. The result was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang . Caractacus Potts (an English inventor with an American accent played by Dick Van Dyke) rebuilds an old wreck of a race-car and makes a few slight improvements, such as giving it the ability to sail and to fly . With his kids, grandfather and the beautiful daughter of a candy mogul, Caractacus travels to the distant, vaguely mitteleuropäisch land of Vulgaria (location shooting for the film version was done around the Bavarian castle of Neuschwanstein and in the medieval town of Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber), where they get in trouble with the country's Evil Aristocrat leaders who hate children , but like their car (hey, it's better than a Lada ). Naturally, they steal both.

The book it's based on was written by Ian Fleming . Yes, THAT Ian Fleming . The movie itself was directed by Albert Broccoli of the same fame . Gert Fröbe, who played the Baron, also played Auric Goldfinger . Benny Hill was the Toymaker. Oh, and the screenwriter was Roald Dahl . Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Tropes used in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang include: Aerith and Bob : The Potts children are named Jeremy and, uh... Jemima. Accidental Aiming Skills : The Baron tries to shoot his own wife when she gets launched into the air and held up with a Parachute Petticoat under the pretense he's trying to hep her down . But he does succeed in popping her dress and having her land safely, much to his disappointment. All Just a Dream : All the parts with Vulgaria and the car flying (except the very end) are a story Potts tells to his children while on a date with Truly. Except in the stage musical, where we are expected to believe all this really happened.

Of course this introduces the Fridge Logic of how a mundane Chitty can fly at the very end if the rest was made up. What is the point of All Just a Dream if it there is no consistency? Fridge Brilliance : Caractacus knew his car could fly all along. That was why he included it flying in his story. Aristocrats Are Evil : Baron and Baroness Bomburst, the leaders of Vulgaria Though averted hard with Truly Scrumptious, who is, well... Attack! Attack! Retreat! Retreat! : The lone Vulgarian foot soldier following behind the cavalry, when the gates close behind him. The Baroness : The Baroness Unlike most examples, this Baroness is in fact an actual baroness. She is married to a baron and lives in the capital of a barony. Black Humor : Toward the end of the film, several characters are thrown into the lake near Neuschwanstein Castle. If you know the history of Neuschwanstein (there were several tragic drownings in that lake), this is a lot darker.

Brick Joke : On the way back to Vulgaria, the two spies are thrown off the zeppelin when Baron Bomburst tries to lighten it. Later, we see the spies having swum all the way back, but because the Vulgarian people are fighting at the castle, they head back into the water to swim away. Child-Hater : Having been invented by Roald Dahl , Vulgaria naturally has its whole culture built (very illogically) around this. Names to Run Away From Really Fast : C'mon now? Bomburst? (Not to mention "Vulgaria"?) Kids, NEVER TAKE SWEETS FROM A STRANGER, PARTICULARLY IF THAT STRANGER IS CALLED THE CHILDCATCHER. No OSHA Compliance : The Scrumptious candy factory doesn't have handrails and has some of the boiling vats of sugar sitting on the edges... The Nose Knows : The Childcatcher's huge nose lets him track people's scent. Not Even Bothering with the Accent : Dick Van Dyke is in a movie set in England with English actors playing the other members of his family and he still uses his American accent.

Of course, we all know what happened the last time he attempted a British accent . Sinister Schnoz : The Child-Catcher. The Sixties : The original novel was set in early-60s Britain, with the eponymous car being a vintage barn-find Caractacus bought because neither he nor anyone else in the Potts family wanted to be the twelfth family on the block with a black Morris Minor. (May possibly be The Fifties combined with Did Not Do the Research : A highway mentioned early in the novel did not exist until the 1960s, but Fleming may not have known that.) Steampunk : The movie has a steampunk sensibility, but Chitty is a 20th century gasoline-powered vehicle, and the mood is the very opposite of "punk". The novel is set in the 1960s and is definitely not steampunk. The setting is still not "punk" but Diesel Punk might be a closer match for Chitty herself. Swing Low, Sweet Harriet : Truly on her garden swing. Rrrrowrrr... Those Magnificent Flying Machines : Chitty and the Baron's blimp.

Early in the film, Caractacus attempts to build a set of rocket wings, as well. Epic Fail . Too Dumb to Live : The children are told point blank about the Child Catcher , ordered to stay put, and not to go outside no matter what...and they still go running after him with the call of sweets in hand. The worst of it is that they had seen the Child Catcher before and yet they were fooled by his Paper-Thin Disguise . Trap Door : Baron Bomburst tries to dispose of his wife through one. Ugly Guy, Hot Wife : The baron and Baroness. Very Loosely Based on a True Story : The episode of the two spies dressed as "English gentlemen" may be based on a World War II story in which two German spies were apprehended in the fen-country of Norfolk because (having been misled by P. G. Wodehouse and other similar English authors) they had attempted to pass as Englishmen by wearing spats and top-hats, both unsuitable to the terrain and hopelessly out of fashion by the 1940s. Caractacus is reputed to be partially based on Henry Leland.

Question: In the novel of the same name, the car "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", was built and driven by whom?
Answer: Caractacus Potts